Maeshall wood



M. WOOD. Railway Switch.-

No. 230,095. Patented July 13, I880.

WITNESSES:

m may ATTORNEYS.

WAS

N, PETERS. PHOTO LITHOQRA 'UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MARSHALL WOOD, OF ALDERSON, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF AND JOHN A. MONTGOMERY,OF LEWISBURG, WEST VIRGINIA.

RAILWAY-SWITCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 230,095, dated July 13,1880.

Application filed November 29, 1879.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MARSHALL WOOD, of Alderson, in the county of Monroeand State of West Virginia, have invented a new and ImprovedRailway-Switch, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide a railway-switch which isadapted to be opened and closed by the passing engine.

A second object of my invention is to dispense with the frog usuallyplaced at the crossing of the rails of the switch and main track.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a plan of my improved switch.Fig. 2 is a cross-section of the same, taken on line w 00 of Fig. 1.Figs. 3 and 4 are sectional details. taken respectively on lines y y andz z of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 represents the device for opening and closing theswitch. Fig. 6 is a detail, inside elevation, of the movable end ofswitch-rail D 5 and Fig. 7 is a side view of the chair for connectingthe movable main-track rail with the main track.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

Referring to the drawings, A A are the rails of the main track. B B arethe rails of the side track. 0 G are the guard-rails, and D D are themovable switch-rails.

Switch-rail D has its end a pivoted at the end a of rail 13, and its endI) is adapted to be moved, to and from main-track rail A. Switch-rail D,between main-track rails A A, is placed, about midway of its length, ina chair, 0, which has on its under side a circular tenon,

I c,which is placed in a circular mortise, d, in

plate d, which is fastened to tie E. A bolt, d, is passed down throughrail D, chair a, plate (1, and tie E. Said bolt cl serves as a pivot, onwhich the rail D can be turned laterally, so as to throw its ends 6 e inor out of connection with the main rails A A, respectively. The tenon 0,combined with the pivotbolt (1, fastens the rail D to tie E securely,and prevents the said rail from shifting in eitherdirection but at thesame time said rail is allowed to turn freely.

E is the movable rail of the main track. It has its end f, next to theend of main-track rail A, resting on and ,pivoted to a crescentshapedchair, f. Said crescent-shaped chair f is fixed to a plate, f placed ontie E under the ends of rails A E. A curved plate, f is passed throughtheweb of rail E at the pivoted end f, and the ends of said plate f arebent down over the flanges of rail E and bear on the crescent-shapedchair f. The purpose of plate f is to support and steady rail Elaterally at its pivoted end f, and to strengthen by its lateral supportthe pivotal connection of the end of said rail with chairf. Theturned-down edges of the plate f are securely fastened to the edges ofthe chair f in order to produce the bracing effect.

The diagonal end g of movable rail E is adapted to be moved laterally tojoin the diagonal end of rail A, to open the main track for the passingof trains, and also to join the guard-rail (J, as in Fig. 1, when thesiding is to be opened for the passage of trains from the main track.These movements of rail E are produced by movable switch-rail D by thefollowing arrangement: Rail E is connected with the adjacent flange ofmovable switchrail D by a pivoted link, 9 so that when end 6 of rail Dis moved up to rail A to close the main track it pushes rail E sidewiseaway from rail A, as shown in Fig. l; but when rail D is moved away fromrails A A to open the main-track rail E is drawn in line with rail A,and its end 9 rests against the end of rail A.

The ends I) e of movable switch-rails D D are connected underneathmain-track rails A A by a bar, F, pivoted to the flanges of said rails DD, so that the two movable rails D D can be moved simultaneously. Themechanism for operating the movable switch-rails D D consists of ashaft, G, boxed in the .ties

outside of main-track rail A and parallel to posite end of said rod j ispivoted to bar F.

k is a crank on shaft Gr, near the end opposite crank g. To crank ispivoted one end ofa connecting-rod, 7c. The opposite end of saidconnecting-rod is pivoted to the lower end of lever l. Said lever isplaced midway between rails AA, and is fulcru med to a shaft, l, whichis boxed on ties I I I. A connecting-rod, 1, extends from the lower endof le ver 1 to the lower end of lever m, fulcrumed between switch-railsB B on ties I I.

L is a shaft journaled under ties J J in hanging boxes. A crank, 0, onshaft L is connected by a rod, 19, with a crank, 0, on shaft 1. 1nrecess 11 of hanging box it (under tie J, in which shaft L is boxed) alever, q, is fixed to shaft L. Above the lever q is a latch, g, which ispassed up through a hole, 1", in tie J, and through a hole, 1", in plateM, which is placed under the ends of rails A B O D E. A flat spring, 8,fixed at one end to the under side of tie J in recess 1), has its freeend 8 bearing on latch q, and serves to keep said latch pressed downagainst lever q.

Nis a pawl having one end, 8', pivoted to the bar t, fixed to tie J, andthe opposite end, t, resting on plate M. The pawl N is connected withthe end 6 of rail D by a link, 0. 4 By means of either of the levers h,l, and m, the shafts G and Z are oscillated through the connection ofits cranks g and 7a with said levers, as hereinbefore described. Shaft Zis oscillated directly by lever l, as said lever is fixed to said shaft.Shaft I can also be oscillated by levers m and h, lever m beingconnected with lever Z by connecting-rod 'l, and lever h is connectedwith I through connecting-rod h, shaft G, and connecting-rod 7c, joiningcrank 70 with lever 1.

Thus, when either one of the levers h, l, or m is moved in the directionof arrow 1 the movable switch-rails D D are turned in the direction ofarrows 2, throwing end I) of rail D against and upon main-track rail A,end 6 of rail D against main-track rail A, and end 0 of rail D againstmain-track rail A, in the manner shown in Fig. 1. At the same time theend 9 of movable rail E is moved over against guard-rail 0. As the end 6of rail D moves up to rail A through link 0 said rail draws the pawl Nin the direction of arrow 3 until its end t bears against the side ofrail D. By the same movement the shaft 1 is oscillated and its crank 0turned in the direction of arrow 4 through connecting-rod p and crank 0.This motion is communicated to shaft L, and shaft L turns lever q in thedirection of arrow 5, and this motion of lever q throws the latch upthrough opening 4 in plate M alongside of pawl N. The pawl, bearingagainst the side of rail D, prevents its end 0 from slipping back fromits junction with rail A, and latch q prevents the pawlN from slippingfrom its position against rail D. Now, by turning either of the levers hZ m in an opposite direction from that indicated by arrows 1, the latchq is lowered so as to allow the pawl N to move back, the

movable switch-rails D D are turned away from their connection withmain-track rails A A, and the end 9 of movable rail E is moved backuntil it rests against end g of rail A, furnishing thus a continuousbearing for the wheels on rail A.

By these movements the switch is first opened for the passage of thetrains from the main tracks A A to the side tracks, B B, and by thesecond movement the movable switch-rails D D are disconnected from themain-track rails A A, whereby the siding is closed and the main trackopened.

These movements of opening and closing the switch and locking themovable rail D by means of pawl N are performed automatically by thedevice shown in Fig. 5. This device consists of a bar, P, which isplaced under the forward truck of the engine, or under the truck of acar, lengthwise of the engine or car, and sufficiently low down to actagainst the levers h l m, which project above the level of the tops ofthe track-rails.

To the ends of the bar P are pivoted conical arms Q Q. Both of said armshave a lateral movement on their pivots, as indicated by the dottedlines. 0n opposite sides of arms Q Q are levers u u.

R is a connecting-rod, having its ends pivoted to levers u u. A rod, 11,extends from connecting-rod It to a lever or other suitable device inthe cab of the engine, so that by pushing the rod '0 in the direction ofthe arrow the arms Q Q are drawn into the position they occupy in Fig. 55 but when the rod 0 is drawn in the opposite direction to thatindicated by the arrow, arms Q Q are moved into the position indicatedby the dotted lines. When arms Q Q are in the first position, 12, theywill throw the levers h l m in the direction indicated by arrows 1; whenin the second position,o they will throw said lever in a directionopposite to arrows 1; but when the arms Q Q are between these twopositions--that is, in lines parallel to bar Pthe said arms will passsaid levers without acting on them at all.

From this it can be readily seen that when the engine is coming alongthe main track toward the siding, if it is desired to pass into saidsiding and the switch is closed, the arms Q Q are placed in the positionQ7, which they occupy in Fig. 5. Thus placed the forward arm, Q, willstrike lever h and throwit in the direction of arrow 1, and, as beforementioned, the several movements will take place whereby theswitch-rails D D will be moved into the position they occupy in Fig. 1.

If the train is to pass along the main track and the switch is set forthe siding, as in Fig. 1, the arms Q Q are turned to the positionindicated by the dotted lines 11 when the point of forward arm, Q, willbear against lever h and throw it over in the opposite direction, andthereby move the switch'rails away from their connection with main-trackrails A A, and thus open the main track.

If the engine runs out of the switch from end H, or runs in the maintrack, the arms Q Q will act on the levers m and l in the same manner ason lever h.

By having two arms, Q Q, the engine ca run either backward or forwardand operate the switch-levers both ways.

As before mentioned, the arrangement first described for operating theswitch can be applied to a car-truck as well as to the engine.

Instead of cutting a slot in main-track rail A at w for the passage ofthe wheels onto the switch-rail D, I place the rail D on plates as w,fixed to the ties, so as to raise said rail above rail A. Then theflange y of rail D is cut away so as to permit the end I) to projectover the top of rail A when said rail D is moved up to rail A, as inFig. 1. The top of end b is chamfered down, so that it will give agradual rise from the rail A, whereby, when the train enters the switch,the wheels on rail A will pass up on rail D and the flanges of thewheels will pass over rail A, instead of through a slot. The purpose ofthis is to avoid weakening rail A by cutting a slot in it, and also togive a continuous tread for the wheels on rail A.

In the box S, inclosing lever l, is placed the switch lock, whichconsists of a V-shaped spring, T, which projects part way across theslot z, so that when the lever is moved sidewise it forces the springback until it passes by said spring, which then springs out and retainsthe lever in the position to which it was moved, as shown in Fig. 1.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters 3 5 Patent 1. The combination,with the main, side-track, andguard rails, of the two switch-rails D D, the one being pivoted near themiddle and the other at one end, adjacent to that of the side-track railB, to operate as shown and described.

2. The curved plate f, in combination with the rail E, chain f, andpivot 01 as and for the purpose specified.

3. The movable switch -rails D D, constructed as described, incombination-with shaft G, connecting-rods h j k l, and levers h, l, andm, arranged and operating in the manner substantially as described.

4. The switch-rail D and the movable part E of the main rail, connectedby pivoted link as and for the purpose'set forth.

5. The combination, with the shaft 1, forming a part of the switchmechanism, of the shaft L, connected therewith by rod 1; and cranks 0 0,the hanging box n, the lever q, the spring-latch q, the tie J, havinghole 1, the plate m, having hole r, and the bar t, provided with pivotedpawl N, connected with the end of rail D, as and for the purposespecified.

MARSHALL WOOD. Witnesses BAYLUS GADE, G. A. SMITH.

